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McCain, who was once booed at the Conservative Political Action Conference, appears to be winning over conservatives.
AP Photo

Conservatives may not be enamored of John McCain, but on subjects that are near and dear to their hearts — legal philosophy and judicial appointments — they are finding a lot to like about the Arizona senator.

Between his campaign trail rhetoric and a stable of legal advisers who are well-regarded in conservative circles, McCain is winning over converts who at one time harbored deep suspicions about his commitment to appointing reliably conservative judges.

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It’s a surprising turn of events for a candidate who was once booed at the Conservative Political Action Conference and especially for one who played a key role in brokering the “Gang of 14” compromise in 2005, a deal that some conservatives contend undermined the Republicans’ opportunity to ban filibusters against judicial nominees.

This newfound respect is rooted in the widely-held belief that, if elected, McCain will appoint high court justices like George W. Bush appointee Chief Justice John Roberts. Former President George H.W. Bush deeply disappointed conservatives by appointing the liberal-to-moderate David Souter.

“He has attempted to make it clear he’s going to appoint judges with a demonstrated conservative record,” said Robert Alt, deputy director of the Center for Legal and Judicial studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

“I think his general approach will be very consistent with [former] President [Ronald] Reagan and President [George W.] Bush,” said Mike Carvin, a former deputy assistant attorney general under Reagan, who argued Bush v. Gore for the Bush campaign.

A McCain speech delivered May 6 at Wake Forest University turns out to have gone a long way toward mollifying uneasy conservatives, largely because its tone suggested his judicial philosophy is at least as sharply defined as President Bush’s.

“We thought it was the best speech of the campaign,” said Larry Hart, director of government relations at the American Conservative Union. “We were very impressed.”

Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, a conservative group, praised McCain’s speech on CFJ’s blog for inveighing against “judicial activism,” and for praising “judicial restraint.”

He lauded McCain for criticizing recent Supreme Court rulings allowing detainees in Guantanamo Bay to have access to U.S. courts and holding that the death penalty is unconstitutional in individual crimes “where the victim’s life was not taken.”

The campaign presence of former Bush administration Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson, a heavyweight in the conservative legal movement who represented Bush in Bush v. Gore, has also sent a strong signal.

Olson, who articulated the administration’s view of expanded executive power in the War on Terror as solicitor general, co-chairs McCain’s advisory committee on judicial appointments with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and speaks to groups such as the Republican National Lawyers Association on behalf of the McCain campaign.

With Olson overseeing McCain’s selections, some conservatives have concluded that a McCain White House will nominate sufficiently conservative jurists.

“Ted Olson being his key adviser is very promising,” said Hart. “If people like Ted Olson are guiding selection of judges, the outcome will be very good for conservatives.”

“I think a lot of conservatives were concerned early on, during the primaries, but he’s done things since then to reassure us all,” said Levey. “Making Ted Olson his top legal adviser and the speech he gave at Wake Forest — those things reassured us.”

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Olson’s job hasn’t been easy, though. McCain’s stance on campaign finance reform remains unpopular in the conservative legal community and his “Gang of 14” apostasy hasn’t been completely forgiven. Still, Olson has managed to considerably raise conservatives' level of comfort with McCain.

“Conservatives have been comfortable with assurances that I’ve given them and Sen. Brownback has given them,” said Olson.

A factor that weighs heavily in McCain’s favor is his Senate record. Judicial issues haven’t been his trademark, but he has consistently supported conservative Supreme Court nominees. In 1987 he spoke on behalf of embattled Reagan Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, saying he supported him “without any hesitation.” In recent years McCain has voted for every one of Bush’s judicial nominees.

“He voted for Alito and Roberts despite the fact that he had to know they would vote to strike down McCain-Feingold,” said Levey. “That addresses the concern that he might not appoint strict constructionist judges who are more likely to oppose McCain-Feingold.”

Readers' Comments (1341)

Some conservatives may warm to him but will conservative women... Besides being one of the "gang of 14" McCain is a pro-lifer who jokes about wife beating (see below) called his wife a c-nt in public and has voted with GW Bushies 100% this session and Bush is no conservative. So I don't buy it.

I appreciate his support. As you know, the lieutenant governor is our chairman.

(Why snub the governor?)

I didn’t mean to snub him,. I've known the lieutenant governor for 15 years and we've been good friends….I didn't intend to snub him. There are other states where the governor is not the chairman.

(Maybe it's the governor's approval rating and you are running from him like you are from the president?)

(Chuckling) And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago….

Where to begin. First of all, as Jake Tapper points out, you might not want to be making any kind of jokes about women and Governor Gibbons, who was accused of trying to choke one in a parking lot, has been quite prodigious in the department on cheating on his wife (who he is now divorcing--more family values for all!).

But then there is Senator McCain. Here is what we do know. He called his wife a **** in public according to some book buy some writer. He left his first wife for his current one after she was disfigured in a car accident. And he has an explosive temper.

Some conservatives may have fallen for his line... but most conservativesI know think he can't be trusted. He flip flops on so many things. Here is one more: Beside being quite funny... http://www.thedailyshow.com/vi...

I have noticed something strange here at Politico.com and on other sites that require users to identify their party affiliation. It seems there are large numbers of new self-identified "Independent" voters. Of course, in and of itself, this is not so strange. "Independent" voters have grown in number for a long time. What is strange; the character of many of the comments of so these so-called "independents". They seem, well, Republican. I see many of these "Independents" posting strong defenses of George Bush and John McCain. That is understandable, people can be wrong. Then there are the dark comments, ones that hurt the image of real Independents. The comments I am speaking about are not the humorous or fun pokes and plays on names, these are direct and obvious falsehoods designed to stoke racial fear and religious bigotry. In many cases, these so called ”Independents" are the ones posting the most outlandish and paranoid comments. You know the ones, these are the people that claim inside knowledge that Barack Obama is a "secret Muslim” or a "black panther operative.Invariably these come from so called "Independents." These folks are giving true Independents a black eye. Is it so awful to be identified as a Republican or conservative? I think not. However, if there is some type of karma system at work in the universe maybe this is an attempt by it to let these "Independents" in on what minority status is like. In addition, just so you know, some of my best friends are Republican....

McCain is winning over converts who at one time harbored deep suspicions about his commitment to appointing reliably conservative judges.

In What World does this writer Live? John McCain was a Member of the Gang of Fourteen that forced the appointment of some very liberal judges.

McCain..MOCKED...Judge Samuel Alito...when he was being pounded and pounded and pounded by Sen. Leathy..Sen. Kennedy..Sen. Schumer on:

1. Would Judge Alito ever vote to CHANGE.BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS INSIDE THE USA....Sen. Schumer...went on and on and Judge Alito tried to tell the man that he had never even had a case challenging the Law Schumer was hysterically crying was in danger from a 'conservative'. Alito's wife...on the second day of the Verbal Abuse..and verbal Abuse is a kind way of describing it....watch the video tapes of Alito's Confirmation Hearing...if you doubt me.

When his wife had tears flowing down her face...on the SECOND day of the Kangaroo Senate Hearings...EVEN THE PRESS...started questioning the engraged Senators who were furious that Alito was being considered. And I note..He had the HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION. HE HAD DECADES OF UNBLEMISHED SERVICE ON SOME OF OUR HIGHEST COURTS. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT JUDGE . HE IS AN EXCELLENT JUDGE.

MCCAIN'S COMMENT ON ALITO...WHEN HE WAS BEING POUNDED BY THE HARD LEFT...

"ALITO WEARS HIS CONSERVATISM ON HIS SLEEVE.".

AND CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SEAN HANNITY..WHO HAS LOST A GOOD DEAL OF HIS AUDIENCE OVER IT TOO..............THEY THINK MCCAIN WILL APPOINT CONSERVATIVE JUDGES?

YEAH..........AND NANCY PELOSI JUST SAID IT IS TIME FOR A FENCE ON THE SOUTHERN MEXICAN BORDER.

John McCain is exactly where "most Americans" are politically. He's just to the "right of center". Like most Americans he's for a strong defense, conservative judges like John Roberts, and wants to balance the budget, first. I can see where John McCain on the night of November 4th could very well win easily with over 300 electoral votes. If John adds Mitt Romney to the ticket I see Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, and New Hampshire as "locks" for the McCain column. The American people are starting to see through the Hollywood style "staged events" that Obama has been putting on and there are really starting to see how our liberal wolfpack press has done this nation a "dis-service" by propping up and promoting this unqualified, inexperienced, and young liberal politician, Obama. John McCain should win in a "cakewalk" come November 4th. And I believe alot of Hillary supporters will break his way due to the treatment that Obama, his campaign, and his "enablers" in our liberal MSM wolfpack press gave her during her campaign. Hillary got alot of unfavorable coverage and Saturday Night Live had to show us all this FACT.

Obama's latest statement on the Heller decision is really disturbing. The 2nd amendment uninfringed is fundamental for the retention of the other enumerated rights, and according to the 14th amendment, we are entitled to uniformity in the 2nd amendment's application. Therefore the Heller decision is only the beginning. I have more and more doubts about Obama's probable Supreme Court nominees, and fewer doubts about McCain's nominees, so what do I do? Simple, demand clarity from Obama in every forum I can reach and get ready to vote for McCain.

So far, I have not heard McNuts or the Gret Bama suggest any REAL way out of the energy problem. A lot of pie in the sky or happy talk. In fact they seem to want to blather about almost anything but energy.

Where do we get our "GREEN" wind or solar driven cars? Where do we get the electricity to charge up the new battery driven cars that have been just right around the corner for YEARS. A lot of the solutions sound like the cure for cancer hype we hear every year when the American Cancer Society is on a money drive.

NEXT year, decade- WHEN?

You guys better get ready to fill those gas tanks with HOPE and Change. My car won't run on those! And the windmill keeps falling of! Keep up the good fight boys, NONE of the lawyers in Washington ever fix anything.

McCain is a sad case of "up mt butt if you want the nomination". Do you really think that a man that divorced his wife because of a car wreck and married his current bimbo less than a month later cares about the supreme court?

Conservatives would be pleased if John McCain would assure them of a conservative platform. If he shows he will appoint conservative judges, he will get more conservative support. If he shows he will likely make some more conservative choices, he will get even more support.

He just went to Lordstown, Ohio. There, according to my Newspaper this Morning, He told that economically depressed area, that HE supported the Free Trade Agreements which had taken....is taking..will take...THEIR JOBS.

Well, you know they ate that up and vowed to vote for him...for sure..come November.

SO NOW..McCain is Headed Columbia Way to show more Support for the Free Trade Agreement with Columbia...and Columbia has spent BILLIONS spreading Cash around "K" Street...and those lobbyists work as full time staff in Senator's Offices...THREE IN MCAIN'S OFFICE LINKED TO COLUMBIA SWEETNERS ON 'K' STREET...( WashingtonTImes..one major newspaper NOT IN THE TANK)

WAIT A MINUTE BIG JOHN.........TROUBLE IN COLUMBIA.....ALERT!

World Briefs......in my newspaper this morning.......Columbia plunged into political uncertaintuy Friday as oppeonents of President Alvara Utribe accused him of acting like a "dictator" because he called for new elections that could allow him to extend his stay in office beyond the end of his current term in 2010.(When Chavez in Venezuela tried this a few months ago...THE USA PRESS WAS ENRAGED. SO WERE OUR PLOLITICANS. BUT URIBE OF COLUMBIA...FREE RIDE.

You remember Uribe got some bad press three months ago...when his First Cousin..A close confidante and Poltical Ally..also a Columbian Senator..was arressted in the Columbian Senate for Leading Death Squads against Columbian Workers and Citizens. Uribe has been charged with the Same involvement in Those Infamous Death Squads.

THEN THE WOULD BE PRESIDENT...JOHN MCCAIN..HEADS OUT LOS ANGELES WAY. HE WILL GO TO ADDRESS A HISPANIC GROUP..TO WHOM HE HAS BEEN CAUGHT HAVING SECRET MEETINGS AND EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY THAT HE PROMISED AMNESTY TO ALL ILLEGALS AND MOCKED CONSERVATIVES WHO CALL FOR SOME IMMIGRATION COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT. He is quoted as saying..snidely as only he can sneer..."The Rhetoric of the law enforcement talk".

SO.............if EVERY person Inside Mexico..and the USA..who are Hispanic...if they were a Monolithic Vote ...and they are NOT...if they all voted for John McCain..........................they could not equal the voting power of the 80 MILLION evangelicals...that McCain has convinced to sit this election out...at least on the Presidential Level. AND that is not even talking about the Silent Armies of American Citizens...Fed up with Polticans like McCain and Obama..putting PERSONAL INTEREST and PERSONAL REWARDS over what is good for the Nation. Like...........................They Support Special Interest Groups..Mexican..Illegals..War Mongers.....Free Trade Crooks..Human Rights Violators..Maybe Mass Murderers in the case Of Uribe....Certainly in letting the drugs flow across that border and killing our kids...they enable human slavery..trafficing of human slavery..they give power to the drug cartels in Mexico......BY KEEPING THAT BORDER OPEN AND WE KNOW.

This is a Silent Army of MILLIONS John McCain is hacking off.........every day. And Obama..The Man does NOT like White People. He says so in his Book..."Dreams of my Father." Read the darn book if you doubt me. He sat in the Church pews of a church...a Black Liberation Theology Church..and Some of the Most Powerful Black Ministers in that Movement WRITE BOOKS..AND CALL FOR KILLING ALL WHITE PEOPLE. READ THE 20+ BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CORNELL WEST..PRO. AT PRINCETOWN UNIVERSITY. Even FARRAKHAN...............thinks there is SOME hope in White People. We are 'unformed' but not basically evil...................NOT THEM. Killing us all is the only hope.

Listen to Obama's nasty, snide, patronizing remarks to SanFran Tech Moguls Many of them Immigrants who struck it rich in the USA..and Now seek to import an Indentured servant..Permanent Underclass Worker Social System..like they had in the toilet nations they fled.....They Seek to have a Permanent Underclass in the USA..by H1b visas and Illegal Cheap Labor..and Obama is down with that And so is McCain.

"SOME MEN ( AND WOMEN) AREN'T LOOKING FOR ANYTHING LOGICAL. SOME MEN JUST WANT TO WATCH THE WORLD (USA) BURN." ( Butler Alfred...described The Joker In Batman."

AND WE ARE GETTING THAT...AND REP. CANNON OF UTAH KNOWS IT TOO ..........AND MORE WILL BEFORE IT IS OVER.

Sorry for the rant. We lost another fine young man in Iraq last night.His name was Marcus Prued'homme, he was a Marine, His Family was relocated in Jacksonville Beach when Katrina destroyed New Orleans. He was a fine addition to our community. He was a star wrestler for the Fletcher High School Wrestling team. While in High School, he maintained high grades, even with his sports extra-curricular activieis. He also worked at the Beach Hut Cafe, as did other members of his family when they first came to Jacksonville. The Owner of the Beach Hut Cafe wept as he spoke of Marcus. He loved him. And his Coach at Fletcher Wept when he heard. And when I heard it on the news..late at night...I wept too. He was killed in a Sucide Bomb Attack in Anbar..where he was guarding the Iraqi Govt. in a Meeting.

Two Things I know:

1. No One in Washington D.C. shed a tear for him. Not Pelosi. Not Bush. Not Reid. Not Cheney. Not Sen. Nelson . Not Sen Martinex. Not any of the Four Representatives from this area...Democrat and Republican. ...not a staff member of any USA Newspaper..............................Only our tears were shed.

2. His death...and the death..of the boys and girls like Marcus..is NOTHING to OBAMA.. IT IS NOTHING to MCCAIN.